After having a struggling offensive line for years, the Minnesota Vikings finally have one they can be proud of. The last few years, they've had the offensive tackles and now they have a solid group on the interior.
Pro Football Focus' Zoltan Buday put together a list of the 32 best offensive tackles, and both Christian Darrisaw and Brian O'Neill made the list.
Darrisaw was the higher ranked one, coming in at seventh on Buday's list.
Darrisaw’s 2024 season was cut short by a significant knee injury, and he has now missed time due to injury in each of his four NFL campaigns, which prevents him from being ranked higher on this list.
When on the field, Darrisaw stands out as a top-tier blocker. His 91.7 PFF overall grade over the past three seasons ranks fourth among tackles — behind only Trent Williams, Jordan Mailata and Penei Sewell.
O'Neill was slight behind Darrisaw at 18th.
Following Christian Darrisaw’s injury, O'Neill was the lone bright spot on an otherwise struggling Vikings offensive line. He has also been one of the most reliable offensive tackles in football over the past two seasons.
O'Neill's 6,366 snaps since the start of the 2019 season are the fifth most among all offensive tackles, and his 85.0 PFF overall grade over that period ranks 20th among 80 qualifying offensive tackles. 2024 was another strong season from O'Neill, as his 79.3 PFF overall grade ranked tied for 16th.
What's really interesting isn't who is ahead of each player, as there are some that shouldn't be ahead of either player. It highlights the Vikings having one of the best duos in the National Football League.
Only the Philadelphia Eagles (Jordan Mailata: 1st, Lane Johnson: 5th) and Los Angeles Chargers (Rashawn Slater: 3rd, and Joe Alt: 16th) finished with a better aggregate ranking than Darrisaw and O'Neill. Being the third-ranked duo is great for the Vikings and with the return of Darrisaw, don't be surprised if they move up a spot.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!